National Rugby Championship 2014

[Lindommer]

While we're discussing alternative stadiums for NRC matches, has anyone driven past the new-look Redfern Oval? Perfect for the two eastern Sydney entries.

 

[couldabeen]

Collegians Sports Centre. According to Austadiums it has a capacity of 5,000.

As for whether you'd get that many.I think you'd get close for a country fixture from the local Rugby community if advertised well in advance.

Collegians it is! For one game there I reckon you would get numbers. I suggested WIN because it is set up for Telecast.

 

[couldabeen]

I previously posted I would like to see State of Origin. Doh. Make that Players who started in the country. We love our local boys made good.

 

[WorkingClassRugger]

Collegians it is! For one game there I reckon you would get numbers. I suggested WIN because it is set up for Telecast.

WIN is the obvious choice but far too big to start. Collegians would provide the ability to be set up for broadcasting games easily enough plus would look better on TV with a full grandstand and plenty of spectator surrounding the touch lines.

 

[RugbyFuture]

all grounds have to be setup for telecasts.

Sent from my Transformer Prime TF201 using Tapatalk

 

[Battalion]

The beauty of a Country bid IMO is that you will be able to take games to regional areas thus lifting the code in such areas. You wont be stuck with one region only - I hope games are played in Wagga/Riverina , Orange/Central West & Newcastle thus widening the catchment. I also hope the Country team play a game or 2 in Sydney!

macca, this could be done for sure. each nrc effectively gets one televised home ground for first season correct? that opens the door for country teams to play at other venues like you suggest wagga, newcastle, central coast.

 

[Battalion]

I agree there's some great grounds in country areas like Mudgee etc but it could be a problem getting Fox Sports there. I suspect that's one of the reasons the country team will be based at Moore Park, at least for the first year.

again might not matter. only one game needs to be televised by foxtel. correct? what is the go with broadcasting highlights though?

 

[Quick Hands]

While we're discussing alternative stadiums for NRC matches, has anyone driven past the new-look Redfern Oval? Perfect for the two eastern Sydney entries.

I had previously suggested Redfern as the home for the Easts/Randwick/Souths JV, but a number of Easts supporters doubted that rugby people would go to Redfern (yes I'm being serious) and Randwick were at that stage Coogee or nothing.

Randwick seem to have something of a pyric victory in that that achieved their Coogee Oval in green jumpers or nothing desire. Only problem they seem to have ended up with the nothing part of the equation.

This leaves Randwick and Easts with some form of "association" with the Country team, which will be based at Moore Park, but it would seem that they will be playing their matches in country centres.

Wollongong is certainly a lot further from Woollahra that Redfern is.

 

[Kentucky]

How about some stupid predictions on who is gonna win

Here are mine

1. Sydney Stars (Basically because of the strength of Sydney Uni)
2. Queensland Team A (One QLD team will be good, no way of telling)
3. Uni of Canberra Vilkings (Brumbies will lose a decent amount to the Wallabies but will remain a strong side)
4. Perth Spirit (Will get the core of a team that beat the chiefs)
5. North Harbour Rays (Norths and Manly are its strengths, hard team to judge. Good JV = Good Team?)
6. Greater Sydney Rams (West Harbour, Southern Districts and in particluar Eastwood will make this a respectable team)
7. NSW Country (Impossible to judge)
8. Queensland Team B (One QLD team will be average)
9. Melbourne Rising (Runners-up in 2007 with a few good Sydney Uni players from memory when they had no super rugby franchise. I think it will go the opposite way this time)

Im in no way confident of numbers 4-9. I dont think any team will be disastrous. Should be a fairly even tournament in which the wooden spooners still manage two wins. Can't wait to see the North Harbour Rays in action.

 

[SouthernX]

It would be nice if the teams had trials for club rugby players to at least go and stake a claim to be part of a setup.

I reckon the Perth/Victorian bids will be propped up with a couple of QLD Premier Rugby & Shute Shield players

 

[Battalion]

No doubt the streaming option was also purchased by Foxsports as part of the overall broadcast package, this initial season will be a test case, if ratings go well there could be the chance that we will see more games broadcast in 2015.

flies both ways though. foxtel limits viewership. it's not until rugby is accessible to the masses that we would know for sure. that said. happy foxtel on board and hope they are flexible to show fta.

 

[TOCC]

flies both ways though. foxtel limits viewership. it's not until rugby is accessible to the masses that we would know for sure. that said. happy foxtel on board and hope they are flexible to show fta.

Why would foxtel pay $1.5million for exclusivity rights only to give some games to FTA?

Yes FTA would be good, but no FTA broadcaster was going to offer $1.5million and a prime-time slot..

 

[MACCA]

While we're discussing alternative stadiums for NRC matches, has anyone driven past the new-look Redfern Oval? Perfect for the two eastern Sydney entries.

I had previously suggested Redfern as the home for the Easts/Randwick/Souths JV, but a number of Easts supporters doubted that rugby people would go to Redfern (yes I'm being serious) and Randwick were at that stage Coogee or nothing.

Randwick seem to have something of a pyric victory in that that achieved their Coogee Oval in green jumpers or nothing desire. Only problem they seem to have ended up with the nothing part of the equation.

This leaves Randwick and Easts with some form of "association" with the Country team, which will be based at Moore Park, but it would seem that they will be playing their matches in country centres.

Wollongong is certainly a lot further from Woollahra that Redfern is.

There is a lot of speculation about Randwick which I know to be simply wrong. I know for a fact that they were interested in playing at Redfern.
Despite that comment, it will be fascinating to see how the the JV unfolds. With an educated guess , the Moore Park location suggests that the Waratah staff & facilities will be involved and the proximity to Easts & Randwick suggests that they didn't get snubbed too badly.

 

[Battalion]

Why would fox tell pay $1.5million for exclusivity rights only to give some games to FTA?

if a tree falls in the forest, does anybody hear it? if a brilliant game of super rugby (or nrc) is played, do potential foxtel subscribers see it? no, the game never happened.

foxtel strategy when it comes to rugby should be. 1. increase rugby fans, get them hooked and wanting more. when fans start loving rugby like we do. 2. they might just pay for a subscription. but not before.

foxtel have to find a way to turn non-subscribers into rugby followers. in my opinion part of that mix is fta. doesn't have to be live games either. not even prime time.

 

[TOCC]

if a tree falls in the forest, does anybody hear it? if a brilliant game of super rugby (or nrc) is played, do potential foxtel subscribers see it? no they do not. the game never happened as far as they are concerned.

foxtel strategy when it comes to rugby should be to increase rugby fans, get them hooked and wanting more. when fans start loving rugby like we do, then they might just pay for a subscription. but not before.

foxtel have to find a way to turn people into rugby followers. in my opinion part of that mix is fta. doesn't have to be live games either.

For the $750'000/annum paid to the ARU, even if only 50'000 tune in each week it would have justified its cost and from a business perspective foxtel would be content with their outlay.. Foxtel aren't interested in building the health of the code, they are interested in immediate returns from their investments.

As for a FTA station replaying a delayed NRC match, well let's put it this way, Wallaby matches on the spring tour were replayed the next day and garnered very little interest. An NRC match replayed at 1pm on a Sat or a Sun isn't going to rate well at all.

 

[Quick Hands]

There is a lot of speculation about Randwick which I know to be simply wrong. I know for a fact that they were interested in playing at Redfern.
Despite that comment, it will be fascinating to see how the the JV unfolds. With an educated guess , the Moore Park location suggests that the Waratah staff & facilities will be involved and the proximity to Easts & Randwick suggests that they didn't get snubbed too badly.

Which part of the speculation was wrong?

You've also identified the main point of confusion that I have about the Country team. Is it a genuine country team, which happens to be basing itself in Sydney as it's a central location or is it a Sydney team using the country name?

I think it's quite sad that for whatever reason Easts, Randwick and Souths couldn't get together and make south-eastern Sydney JV work. Clearly fault isn't with any one of the three, but there was a significant pointing of the finger at Randwick's desire for pre-eminence.

 

[p.Tah]

Apologies if already posted:

Queensland City will play out of Ballymore
Queensland Country at Bond University
the North Harbour Rays at Brookvale Oval
the Sydney Stars at Leichhardt Oval
NSW Country to be based at Waratahs headquarters at Moore Park (but play out of country towns)
the Greater Sydney Rams at a yet to be finalised venue.

The University of Canberra Vikings will play out of Viking Stadium in Tuggeranong
the Melbourne Rising at AAMI Park
the Perth Spirit at nib Stadium.

http://wwos.ninemsn.com.au/article.aspx?id=8818976

 

[waiopehu oldboy]

With both teams based and training at Ballymore but City playing its games at Ballymore and Country splitting its games between Dairy Farmers Stadium, Townsville & Robina.

WTF? Both seat 25,000 plus & you'd be lucky to fill either of them with the total gate from all 4 home matches. I recall being informed that NRC isn't about taking on NRL & AFL 'cos that what the Reds & Wallbies are for. Fair enough but if that's the case why are QRU even thinking about playing out of NRL venues?

To clarify the Sunnybank thing, they didn't bid as such but did propose to QRU that they in conjunction with other QPR clubs & Griffith Uni run the QRU's non- Brisbane Metro entry. As I understand it they envisaged running a series of rugby- based carnival days at 2,000 - 5,000 capacity venues with plenty of room for local clubs to set up marquees etc & try to entice kids into giving the game a crack, & their parents into parting with some cash.

I have willingly parted with cash in aid of waka ama, kapa haka & various other I'll-defined, vaguely cultural causes. I'd sure as hell fork out for grass roots footy. Similarly I reckon I could fill a 25-seater for a day trip to Toowoomba but doubt I'll get many takers for an evening at CBUS (formerly Skilled Park, Robina).

 

[Train Without a Station]

Bit dissapointed that the NHRU didn't put their hand up with the NSW CRU for them to be based there, I think it would have made more logical sense. I suppose the Newcastle boys were scared away too early.

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Fuck. Whoo up. 4 clubs have come together straight off the bat to make a workable solution. They have no obligation to be accommodating anybody else.

 

[Battalion]

For the $750'000/annum paid to the ARU, even if only 50'000 tune in each week it would have justified its cost and from a business perspective foxtel would be content with their outlay.. Foxtel aren't interested in building the health of the code, they are interested in immediate returns from their investments.

do you want to see how dumb we are in rugby... visit the sports on foxtel site.
http://www.foxtel.com.au/whats-on/sport/default.htm

nrl is on foxtel. nrl is on fta.
afl is on foxtel. afl is on fta.
Super Rugby/nrc on foxtel. Super Rugby/nrc is NOT on fta.

rugby is the odd one out with fta and talk of immediate returns seems like a flawed and short sighted strategy. deteriorates medium term profits. wouldn't want to be a shareholder.

foxtel core goal is to increase subscriptions. usa subscriptions are at 90%. australia is an embarassing 30%. foxtel's goal is to lift subscriptions to 50%. that is on the public record. previously there goal was much more ambitious.

to increase subscriptions they need reasons for people to subscribe. sport is a big reason. rugby can be an influencing factor. along with other codes shown live. but this influence will only grow if foxtel have the brains to take rugby to the masses. at any rate, foxtel should be bending over backwards to show they will "build the health of the code".

power in rugby's hands. broadcast rights for rugby on the horizon.